Astronomy
SKY REPORT
Looking UP
By Greg Smith
By Greg Smith
AUG 20 – SEPT 19 Late August and on through September the night sky becomes more and more friendly for watching the sky as it get dark earlier and earlier each night and the nights are comfortable and inviting. This makes it all the easier to go out and observe. So, what’s up this time of the year? The Evening Sky
The very bright star Vega is basically straight overhead as it marks the anchor point of the summer triangle of three other bright stars in three constellation. Vega in Lyra, the others are Deneb the tail in Cygnus the Swan and Altair in Aquila. Now in September, the constellation of Pegasus, the flying upside-down horse rises and brings along the rescued princess Andromeda. In the northeastern sky they rise along with our closest large galactic neighbor. To see this, look for two lines of stars on the northeastern end of the large square that marks the body of Pegasus. They look like the hind legs of Pegasus, but are actually the body of Andromeda. At the middle of Andromeda, follow three stars up and at the third star you will find the fuzzy smudge of light. This is the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). This is visible by naked eye in a very dark sky, or with binoculars in town. All we can see is the bright center of the galaxy, but with a telescope you can see more of the outlying arms. Of course, the bigger the scope, the more you will see. If you know how to attach a camera to your scope and get a long shutter opening of about 20 seconds, you will see even more in the photo you just took. In late August, Venus, around 9 pm, disappears from the horizon. So, catch Venus before its gone. By around 10:00pm Jupiter is well above the horizon along with
Sky-gazing as meditation
Saturn just ahead of it. They will be in the southeastern sky, about 30 degrees above the horizon, in the constellation of Capricorn. Saturn and Jupiter are higher in the sky than they were last year, making for better viewing. With Saturn at its highest point in the night sky around midnight, it will be at its brightest. Saturn’s rings are tilted by 18 degrees and allow you to see the gap in the rings even in small telescopes at 25x magnification. Of course, the larger the scope, the more you will see. Night Sky Spectacle If you want to see another globular cluster, look for M5, which lies just off the nose of the upside-down horse Pegasus. The nose is in the opposite corner .of Pegasus from Andromeda. To find it, count four stars from the corner and take a left turn up to a bright reddish colored star called Enif. It lies just up off the nose of Pegasus at about two finger widths. It is a pretty ball of stars. I quite liked it the first time I saw it. You will need a telescope and a fairly dark sky. The astronomer who catalogued this tight cluster of stars saw it from Paris with a 4-inch diameter telescope, but he did not have light pollution to contend with. Moon Phases Full: Aug. 22, Sunday 3rd Quarter: Aug. 30, Monday New: Sept. 6, Monday 1st Quarter: Sept. 13, Monday End of twilight... when the stars start to come out. Saturday, Aug. 21 8:42:06 pm Monday, Sept 1st 8:20:54 pm Sunday, Sept 19th 7:44:52 pm
Escape into the heavens
L
ate summer: warm evenings, dark before 10pm, and the harbingers of the autumn sky are rising. In mid-September, what is that smell in the air? Is it the smell of fall? A slightly sharp feel blowing in the wind. In recent polls, a majority of people have stated the Fall is their favorite season. Warm days and cool nights, easy sleeping temperatures are back. The Summer Triangle is still high overhead, the horse Pegasus and its rider are rising in the eastern sky. The rider? It is the rescued princess Andromeda, and her gem of a galaxy. What else is great viewing in August and September? Look to the south. See the nemesis of Orion, the Scorpion with its hook of a tail, its broad shoulders, and bright red heart, the star Antares. Right next to Antares is a wonderful globular cluster (M4) that can be seen with binoculars in a sky where it’s darker than in town. Just east of the scorpion is the “teapot” and the “steam” of the Milky Way rising from its spout. It is here that the massive black hole of our home galaxy resides. The “teapot” is really an asterism, a portion of the larger constellation of Sagittarius. The top of the teapot has a number of beautiful sights, more globular clusters, and open clusters of stars. Plus, the glowing nebulas of the Lagoon and Trifid. What is the benefit of looking at all these far away objects? I think it’s that they can take you away from the turmoil of days with a constant barrage of negative news. Scanning the skies is a meditative activity. Let your imagination float you up into the night sky. To either just look up at the night sky and see the beauty or to slowly scan the sky with a pair of binoculars, gives a sense of being a part of something bigger and grander than the pettiness of what is around us. Is it escapism? Probably, but it is always good to take a moment and get out of the middle of a problem and see what its context is. As the saying goes, “Can’t see the forest for the trees.” A night out under the stars, with a pair of binoculars gazing at the trail of the Milky Way across the sky, will reveal the beauty of the “forest.” Rest your eyes upon just a spot in the Milky Way and focus on all the stars. As your eyes adjust to the light level, you will see more and more stars. You will have your own “deep field” experience just as the Hubble telescope did a few years ago. Travel deeper and deeper into the sky and let everything else drop away. Longview resident Greg Smith is past president of Friends of Galileo. Meet him and other club members at monthly meetings in Longview. For more info about FOG, visit friendsofgalileo.com.
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